Molecular sieve materials, both natural and synthetic, have been demonstrated in the past to be useful as adsorbents and to have catalytic properties for various types of hydrocarbon conversion reactions. Certain molecular sieves, such as zeolites, AlPOs, and mesoporous materials, are ordered, porous crystalline materials having a definite crystalline structure as determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Within the crystalline molecular sieve material there are a large number of cavities which may be interconnected by a number of channels or pores. These cavities and pores are uniform in size within a specific molecular sieve material. Because the dimensions of these pores are such as to accept for adsorption molecules of certain dimensions while rejecting those of larger dimensions, these materials have come to be known as “molecular sieves” and are utilized in a variety of industrial processes.
Such molecular sieves, both natural and synthetic, include a wide variety of positive ion-containing crystalline silicates. These silicates can be described as rigid three-dimensional framework of SiO4 and Periodic Table Group 13 element oxide (e.g., AlO4). The tetrahedra are cross-linked by the sharing of oxygen atoms with the electrovalence of the tetrahedra containing the Group 13 element (e.g., aluminum) being balanced by the inclusion in the crystal of a cation, for example a proton, an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal cation. This can be expressed wherein the ratio of the Group 13 element (e.g., aluminum) to the number of various cations, such as H+, Ca2+/2, Sr2+/2, Na+, K+, or Li+, is equal to unity.
One crystalline molecular sieve useful for adsorption and certain hydrocarbon conversion processes is designated as EMM-17. Conventional static crystallization of an EMM-17 synthesis mixture produces large crystals in the 1-5 μm size range. Such large crystals inherently have slower diffusion. For chemical reactions where diffusivity is critical, having a smaller crystal size provides a shorter diffusion path and therefore, enhances the mass transfer, improving the desired reaction pathways with a positive impact on the selectivity and conversion of such reactions.
Therefore, there is a need for a crystalline molecular sieve, designated as EMM-17, which has a smaller crystal size and more uniform morphology. This invention meets this and other needs.